​​A Moʻolelo for ʻUmi: A Famous Aliʻi of These Hawaiian Islands.

"Thus, ʻŌmaʻokāmau was sent off to sail to Maui to explain to Piʻikea their desire to have her betrothed to ʻUmi. When ʻŌmaʻokāmau and his attendants sailed off, they eventually reached Kapueokahi, near that famous puʻu (hill) that stands there at Hāna, Maui (named Kaʻuiki)." Illustration by Haley Kailiehu, 2016.

When they had settled in their residence at Waipiʻo, Kaleiokū returned to Hilo—the district that had been given for him to serve as the aliʻi of. ʻUmi remained there in Waipiʻo with ʻŌmaʻokāmau, Piʻimaiwaʻa, Kōī, and a great number of people. During that time, ʻUmi began to court a young female chief from within one of the branches of his own chiefly family. While in living in Hilo, Kaleiokū heard of ʻUmi’s courting this young female chief of Kona, and he expressed his disapproval of their relationship. “ʻUmi should not enter into a union with one of Hawaiʻi’s wahine from within his own chiefly ranks, because,” said Kaleiokū, “ʻUmi has already encompassed all of Hawaiʻi. What remains now is Maui.” And thus, Kaleiokū’s thoughts were adhered to: the daughter of Piʻilani [whose name was Piʻikea] would be the wahine that ʻUmi would enter into a union with so that Maui would become united with Hawaiʻi in peaceful relations. These thoughts were pleasing to the eyes of the Aliʻi and all of his people.

Thus, ʻŌmaʻokāmau was sent off to sail to Maui to explain to Piʻikea their desire to have her betrothed to ʻUmi. When ʻŌmaʻokāmau and his attendants sailed off, they eventually reached Kapueokahi, near that famous puʻu (hill) that stands there at Hāna, Maui (named Kaʻuiki). There they landed their waʻa (canoes). The kamaʻāina of that place standing on shore saw these waʻa from Hawaiʻi and were quite alarmed, thinking perhaps that they were waʻa kaua (war canoes). ʻŌmaʻokāmau then asked of the kamaʻāina there, “Where are the chiefs?” The kamaʻāina responded, “They are in their hale (house).” ʻŌmaʻokāmau then walked over to the place where Piʻilani was residing and the two exchanged greetings of aloha. “Māmā [Was your passage here quick and without trouble]?” asked Piʻilani, and ʻŌmaʻokāmau responded, “Māmā [Indeed, it was].” When they finished their greetings, Piʻilani asked of him, “What is the reason for this journey of yours coming here from Hawaiʻi?” ʻŌmaʻokāmau then responded, “I have been sent here before you on this journey to court a woman. The chiefs of Hawaiʻi have made known their intentions to have ʻUmi, as the kāne, and Piʻikea, as the wahine, enter into a union with each other.” When Piʻilani heard this, he was thoroughly pleased, and they agreed to move forward as intended.

When ʻŌmaʻokāmau and the others had initially landed on shore there, the people became seriously worried that war was to follow. This sent a chill through the skin of the people, and so too for Piʻilani as well. It had been heard by the people of Maui that Hakau had been killed by ʻUmi, and that is the reason for the fear that sent chills through their skin. However, when Piʻilani heard that this visit from the Hawaiʻi chiefs was to court a wahine, his thoughts of war left him. When the rest of the people heard this, their breath returned to them, and when their bodies could breathe properly again in relief, their dreadful thoughts of war left them as well.

Piʻilani then commanded the people there to prepare some food for these malihini (visitors), and they did so with great joy. All of it was prepared in the presence of the malihini, and the faces of all the kamaʻāina expressed their pleasure. It was as if a third of ʻUmi’s kingdom had become ʻŌmaʻokāmau’s, as he was treated with such honor and dignity in the presence of Piʻilani. One anahulu ([10 days] a little over one week) passed as they stayed there, delayed by unfavorable storm winds. On the day that they made ready to return to Hawaiʻi, Piʻikea entrusted her message of aloha to ʻŌmaʻokāmau. “Oh ʻŌmaʻokāmau, when you return to the presence of the Aliʻi kāne who governs Hawaiʻi, give my aloha to him. I am to be his kauwā wahine (servant), as one who is pleased by his wishes. As such, he shall become the object of my inner desire, that which makes my nights sleepless, until the time comes that I am to sail there. I shall wait two anahulu (20 days), and then I will sail to see for myself the intentions of the Aliʻi.”

Dear reading companions of the ala ʻūlili, let us set aside our moʻolelo for the time being, and let us look to the ones who first wrote this moʻolelo in the old newspaper entitled Ka Nupepa Kuokoa. The first portion of this moʻolelo for ʻUmi was first printed by Simeon Keliikaapuni, and according to him, it was originally authored by the students of the Lāhaināluna seminary school. That portion of the moʻolelo was then published in the book entitled Ka Mooolelo Hawaii, which was edited by Sheldon Dibble in 1838. However, the latter portion of this moʻolelo of ʻUmi that we are now reading was first written by J. H. Z. Kalunaaina for Ka Nupepa Kuokoa in 1862. The names of these writers of Hawaiʻi's moʻolelo are not very well-known in this current time, however, it is proper that we should mahalo them for their work. Keliikaapuni was from Kewalo Kai, Honolulu, Oʻahu, and Kalunaaina was from Lapakea, Moanalua, Oʻahu. In reading some of the articles and letters that were written for them in the old newspapers, it appears that, in addition to being well-versed writers of moʻolelo, they were also skilled farmers in their respective homelands. And according to one article, Kalunaaina was also one of the students that graduated from Lāhaināluna.

​That is all that I have to share for now. If anyone has any stories to share about either of these esteemed authors, please do share so that we may properly honor the names of these intellectual ancestors of ours here in Hawaiʻi.

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About the story...

"He Moolelo no Umi" is one of the earliest known published versions of the story of ʻUmi-a-Liloa, the great chief of Hāmākua, Hawaiʻi. The version of this story that is republished and translated here was first published by Simeon Keliikaapuni and J. H. Z. Kalunaaina in 1862, in the Hawaiian language newspaper called Ka Nupepa Kuokoa. After Keliikaapuni & Kalunaaina published "He Moolelo no Umi," similar versions of this important moʻolelo were published and republished in newspapers by a number of others throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Our kūpuna clearly valued this moʻolelo and the lessons it imbued upon each generation who learned it. We, in the same spirit that inspired our kūpuna to retell this moʻolelo, represent it here, in both its original language and in english, so that our generation and the many generations to come may derive knowledge from the important lessons held within this moʻolelo. And so that we, kamaʻāina of Hāmākua, may find pride in the deep cultural heritage and history of our beloved homelands, the birthplace of this great chief, ʻUmi-a-Līloa.

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